Rotary steam-engine.



F. HUPE.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION man APR. lzl ms.

1,153,086. Patented Se t. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

COLUMBIA Puwoamum C(LIWASHINGTON, D. c,

F. HUPE. ROTARY STEAM ENGINE APPLICATION FILED APR.1Z.I915.

1,153,086.- PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

F. HUPE.

ROTARY STEAM ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR-12. I915.

1,153,086. PatentedSept. 7, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANOCIRAPH CO..WASHXNGTON. 0, c.

nnrrnn sanrns Parana ornrc FEIEDRICI-IHUPEE, OF THE UNITED S'IAIES NAVY;

ROTARY STEAMr-ENG'INE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedSept. *7, 1215.

Application filed April 12, 1915. Serial No. 20,852.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it, known that I, Fninonroir Horn, "a citizen of the United States, stationed on boardU. S. S. Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in R tary Steam-Engines, and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to improvements in rotary steam engines, and consists more particularly in an improved steam engine of the type embodying a rotor provided with a cam piston mounted in a cyl-' inder having swinging abutments for co operatingwith the rotor piston to drive the same.

It is an object of'the present invention to provide an improved rotary steam engine constructed to be operated in either a forward or reverse direction and equipped with novel mechanisms for controlling the operation of the several swinging abutments and intake valves; such mechanisms being simple in construction and readily assembled and disassembled for repair and renewal of parts.

N ith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the novel details of construction and combinations. of parts more fully hereinafter disclosed and par ticularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application, and inwhich similar reference symbols indicate corresponding parts in the several views: Figure 1 is a side elevational view of an improved rotary engine constructed in accordance with the present invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlarged top plan view, partly in section, of the improved engine. Fig. 4 is an endcelevational view, partly in section, on the scale shown in Figs. 1 and 2; and Fig. 5 is an elevational view of one of thesteam chests employed in conjunction with the improved engine.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, 1 designates a cylinder, cast or otherwise produced with a central partition 2 dividing the same to. provide a pair'of adjacent coaxial compartments inclosed by heads 3 and 4. c l c J ournaled through the partition 2 and cylinder heads 3 and 4 is the main shaft 5 of the engine, roller or other bearings 6 beingprovided injournal boxes 7 formed in the cylinder heads to receive the same.

A pair ofrotors 8 and 9 are mounted'on theengine shaft 5 in thecompartmen ts to either" side of' the partition 2, and are formed with cam pistons 10 and11,'set"at 180 apart, as indicated in Fig. 2', to admit of an impulse upon each half revolution of the engine shaft, as will'be understood.

ln-each of the campistons 10 and 11' is formeda recess 12 for slidabl-y receiving a packing 13, held projected in close contact with the cylinder walls by coil springs 14, as advantageously disclosed in'Figs. 2and 4. The partition 2, as seen in Figs. 3 and 4, is provided with a vertical duct 15' and a series of lateral ducts 16' leading therefrom for delivering oil to the rotors'8 and 9-, the engine shaft 5- and the several othermoving parts. At the upper portion, and to'either side of the center of the cylinder 1, the same is constructed with-enlargements 17 and 18 extending'the width of the cylinder, and forming associated pairs of chambers 19 and 20 in communication with intake and exhaust'ports 21 and22, andfor' receiving in the respective compartments of the cyl inder 1; and said abutments are arranged'to be ;maintained in retracted and" inoperative position within their respective chambers 19 and20, as shown to, the left in Fig. 2, or may be released, as shown to theright in this figure, and permitted toswing inwardly and coeperate with the respective cam pistons 10 and 11 in'a well understood manner.

Thev outer trunnions 25 of the several abutments 22 and'23, are extendedbeyond their respective cylinder heads3fand4' to receive arms 28 and 29, engaged at their free-ends-by headed'rods and 31 slidably mounted in sleeves 32 33threaded for adjustment in sockets 34and 35"formed on the cylinder heads 3"and 4. I

Coil springs 36 and 37 areconfined between the adjusting sleeves 32 and 33 and the respective heads of the rods and 31 for normally projecting the same, as seen to the right in Fig. 1, to lift the associated arm 28 and maintain the associated abutment 23, as shown in Fig. 2, in yielding engagement with the periphery of the rotor 8. Each of the arms 28 and 29 on each of the cylinder heads 3 and 4, is formed with lugs 38 and 39 adapted for engagement by double throw latches 40, mounted to reciprocate in casings 41, and arranged to be manipulated by handles 42 projecting through slots 43 in the casings .41, and for limiting the movement of the latches in either direction.

Associated with the several intake ports 21, formed in each of the enlargements 17 and 18, are steam chests 44 and 45, bolted or otherwise removably secured thereto and arranged in communication with a source of steam or other active agent supply. Thev valve chests 44 and 45 are provided with guideways for receiving reciprocating valves 46 and 47, provided each with a pair of ports 48 and 49 arranged to register alternately with the intake ports 21. of the adjacent compartments, as indicated in Fig. 3. The valves 46 and 47 are connected to be actuated by stems 50 and 51, mounted through packing boxes in the valve chests 44 and 45 in any usual manner, and normally held by coil springs 52 and 53 in projected position. The outer headed ends of the valve stems 50 and 51 are freely engaged by levers 54 and 55 fulcrumed in pairs of ears56 and 57 projecting from the respective cylinder heads 3 and 4, and provided at their inner ends with rollers 58 and 59 for cooperating with a ca 60 mounted to rotate with the engine shaft 5. In operation, either pair of abutments 23' and 24 is selected, accordingly as the engine is to be driven in a forward or reverse direction, and the opposite set of abutments positively secured and maintained in their respective chambers 19 and 20 by the latch devices 40, as will be apparent from Fig. 1. The latch 40 is here shown to engage the lug 39- on the arm 29 of the abutment 24, the latter being held in retracted position, as will appear from Fig. 2, and against the influence of the spring 37 on the rod 31.

The opposite arms 28, on each of the cylinder heads 3 and 4, are released from engagement with thelatch 40 and are moved upwardly by the coil springs 36, as indicated in Fig. 1, toswing the abutments 2 8, as shown in Fig. 2, into engagement with the periphery of the rotors 8 and 9, permitting the cam pistons 10 and 11to successively engage and close the same at each half revolution of the engine shaft.

A s the operation of the engine proceeds the cam 60 is rotated to oscillate the levers 54 and 5 5 to shift the valves 46 and 47, thereby alternately opening and closing communication of the ports 48 and 49 with the tially as described.

respective ports 21 in the compartments of the cylinder 1. The steam or other active agent is thereby delivered successively to the compartments to either side of the partition 2, in conjunction with the respective abutments and cam pistons, to impress an impulse to the engine shaft at each half revolution thereof.

Connection is made from the source of steam or active agent supply to the steam chests 44 or 45, in accordance with the direction of. the rotation of the engine, the opposite valve working idly. It will be understood that to reverse the direction'of It is obvious that those skilled in the art 7 may vary the details of construction and arrangements of parts without departing from the spirit of my invention, and therefore I do not wish to be limited'to such features except as may be required by the claims.

I claim:

1. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a rotor journaled in said cylinder, a piston on said rotor, an abutment mounted to swing in said cylinder and eoiiperating with the piston on said rotor, an arm connected to said abutment, a socket on said cylinder,-a rod slidably mounted in said socket and arranged to engage the free end of said arm, means for yieldably maintaining said rod in projected position, and means for confining said arm to hold the abutment in retracted posit-ion, substantially as described.

ably mounted in said sockets and engaging the free ends of said arms, means for yieldably maintaining said rods in projected position, and a latch for engaging saidarms to maintainthe same in position to hold the respective abutments retracted, substan- 3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a rotor j ournaled in said cylinder, a piston on said rotor, a pair of swingingabutments mounted in said cylinder, arms connected to move with said of said arms and confine the same in posi* tion to hold the respective abutment retracted, substantially as described.

4;. In a rotary engine, the combinationof a cylinder, a partition dividing said cylinder to provide a pair of coaxial compartments, a shaft journalcd in said cylinder and extending into each of said compartments, a rotor mounted on sald shaft 1n each .of said compartments, a piston on each of said rotors, a pair of swinging abutments mounted in each of said compartments and cooperating wlth the respective pistonv to drive the rotor in a forward or reverse direction, arms connected to move with said abutments and located without the cylinder, sockets on each of said cylinder heads, sleeves adjustably mounted in said sockets, headed rods slidably mounted in said sleeves and arranged to engage the free ends of said arms, spring means confined between said sleeves and the heads of said rods for yieldably projecting the same, a casing on each of said cylinder heads disposed between said arms, and a double throw latch mounted in each of said casings and adapted to engage either of said arms and confine the same against the action of said spring means for maintainlng the respective abutment retracted, substantially as described.

a 5. In a rotary engine, the combination of a cylinder, a rotor journaled in said cylinder, a piston on said rotor, a pair of enlargements formed on said cylinder, swinging abutments mounted in said enlargements and cooperating with the piston to drive said rotor in forward or reverse directions,

arms connected to move with said abutments, sockets on said cylinder, rods slidably' mounted in said sockets and engaging the free ends of said arms, spring means for normally projecting said rods, means for adjusting the tension of said springs, a

Copies of this patent may be obtained for double throw latch for engaging and confinlng said arms against the influence of said spring means to hold the respective abutments retracted, intake and exhaust ports in said enlargements, valve chests removably connected to said enlargements, re-

ciprocating valves mountedin said chests,

a .cam rotated from the engine, and oscillating levers actuated by said cam and arranged in connection to reciprocate said valves, substantially as described.

6. In a rotary engine, the'combination of a cylinder, a partition dividing said cylinder to provide a pair of coaxial compartments,

a shaft journaled in said cylinder, a rotor mounted on said shaft 1n each of said compartments, a piston on each of said rotors,

enlargements one on each side of said cyl inder and extending in communication with each of said compartments, a pair of oppositely acting swinging abutments mounted one in each of the enlargements in each of said compartments and cooperating with i the respective piston to drive the rotor in a forward or reverse direction, arms connected to move with said abutments, sockets on said cylinder heads, sleeves adjustably mounted in said sockets, headed rods slidably mounted in said sleeves and engaging beneath the free ends of said arms, coil springs confined between said sleeves and the heads of said rods for normally projecting same,

a casing mounted on each of said cylinder 7 heads and disposed between said arms, a double throw latch mounted in each of said casings and adapted to be shifted into engagement to hold either ofsaid armsconfined and the associated abutment retracted, intake and exhaust ports in said enlargements, removable valve chests connected to said enlargements, a reciprocating valve in each of said chests provided with openings adapted to register alternately with the intake openings of adjacent compartments,

headed stems on said valve, springs con fined between said chests and the heads of said stems, levers fulcrumed on one of said cylinder heads and engaging the headed stems of said valve to reciprocate the same, and a cam on said shaft for oscillating said levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I affix my signature.

FRIEDRICH HUPE five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

